Man, Chester! Alex's Mission Adventures: Chasing Darkness From Among Us

September 24, 2017

This last week I was privileged to sit at the feet of an Apostle and
learn from him. Instead of a traditional talk, Elder Bednar hosted a
Question & Answer forum for 3 hours. It was truly a once in a lifetime
experience to be taught by an Apostle of the Lord.

Manchester New Hampshire Mission with Elder Bednar Sept 2017

It was the most amazing thing I have ever been apart of. I must say that one

of the things that struck me the most was when we were talking about
chasing darkness from among us. He told us he believes that the darkness in which most of the world is held in our hand-held devices. It made me stop and think...

Here in the next few weeks the MNHM will be adding Social Media as a teaching platform, and I'll be back on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. With a renewed vision of how social media can be used to invite others to come to Christ and spread God's message, I am excited to shine some light in one of the darkest places in the world. I invite you to keep shining your lights and together we can chase out darkness.

John Bytheway likens the war strategies in Alma 55 to the strategies that Satan uses with the media in today's world. He says:

Alma 55: Be Cautious That No Poison Is Administered Among You

When the offers for a prisoner exchange fail, Moroni devises another way to win the release of the Nephite prisoners of war. He delivers wine to the Lamanties in charge of guarding the prisoners, who eventually become drunk and fall asleep. Moroni could have killed all the guards at this point, but instead, he arms the Nephite prisoners of war, and when the hungover guards awaken, they quickly surrender.

Later, the Lamanites tried the same trick on the Nephites, delivering not only wine, but wine laced with poison. However, the Nephites "were not slow to remember the Lord their God" and they were "cautious that no poison should be administered among them." (v 31, 32)

Again, Satan wants to poison us "by degrees." Much of the modern media is exactly that kind of poison. But if we are not slow to remember God, we will be cautious that no poison is administered among us, whether it comes in bottles, or through the airwaves, the cable, or the modem.

It is easy to be poisoned by degrees, and my challenge to you this week is to identify how you use social media. Is it to build others up, to brag, to complain or to testify?

Sister Gremillion is seriously so great. We have been able to just go out and work, and work hard. I am so grateful for her!